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Trade minister Jim Carr diagnosed with cancer

OTTAWA—Jim Carr, the minister of international trade diversification, said Friday that he has been diagnosed with cancer.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Carr said he received the diagnosis of multiple myeloma — a form of blood cancer, which is also affecting his kidneys — just a day after he was re-elected as the MP for Winnipeg South Centre.

He said he has begun chemotherapy and dialysis.

Carr said he had been experiencing flu-like symptoms in recent weeks, prompting his doctor to order blood tests. On Monday evening — the day of the federal election — he was instructed to go to hospital where more tests Tuesday led the diagnosis.

“I am feeling well, my spirits are high. I spoke to the Prime Minister and reiterated my commitment to continue serving my constituents and all Canadians,” Carr wrote in his statement.

Cabinet colleagues were quick to offer their support. “Sending love and best wishes to my good friend and always awesome colleague, @jimcarr We are all with you,” Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna said on Twitter.

“My dear friend, all my heart and best wishes are with you and your family. You’ve been a leader in many fights, and this one is another one you will win,” tweeted Melanie Joly, the minister of official languages and La Francophonie.

While the news is sad on a personal level, it also poses a political challenge for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as his government seeks to ensure proper representation of Western Canada after losing all of its MPs in Alberta and Saskatchewan in Monday’s election.

While the government is weighing a number of options to make that happen, cabinet ministers from B.C. and Manitoba will no doubt be expected to pick up some of that load.

Carr, a former member of the Manitoba legislature, was first elected as an MP in 2015. He is a respected minister around the cabinet table who held the natural resources portfolio before his move to trade, giving him in-depth knowledge of the energy file and the frustrations of Alberta and Saskatchewan on the issue.

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